As a natural part of growing up, adolescents becoming adults must become responsible for their health care. Taking responsibility for one's own health care, as developmentally able, is part of becoming independent from one's family and finding a place in the adult community.

However, adolescents with special health care needs, chronic illnesses, physical or developmental disabilities may find this difficult. If leaving a pediatric provider, it may be hard to find an adult health care provider trained in pediatric conditions or ready to assume primary responsibility. An adolescent who has been receiving care from a family practitioner may stay with that family practitioner but find it easy to continue to function in a child's role. Either way, young people may be uncomfortable in the role of an adult health care consumer. And families may have trouble letting go of the health care services which are familiar and comfortable.

The Adolescent Health Transition Project is designed to help smooth the transition from pediatric to adult health care for adolescents with special health care needs. This site is a resource for information, materials, and links to other people with an interest in health transition issues.